Reid Speed || Resonance Tour Diary

or: The Things In Reid's Head As She Travels the World With Sixty Records and a Digital Camera

Thursday, May 23, 2002

los angeles

los angeles: After 3 much needed days of relaxation & watching LA’s dopest band to fuse drum & bass with a host of other sounds, Poopan Hooligan, kick ass at the Moonshine party at Boardner’s and the Hard Rock Newport, I was ready to get back on the decks. Good thing Alex (my sweet awesome amazing wonderful drum ho) decided to throw Love Your Mother, a benefit for the rainforest at the Hard Rock Café in Beverly Hills. It was a really nice way to end a vacation. A good crowd turned out & rocked out to the sounds of the Databass Kru, Poopan Hooligan, myself, Peacemaker & Alx. Almost $1000 went to saving the trees and we all left with big smiles. To find about about Poopan, which you should if you like good live music, go look at www.poopanhooligan.com.

Monday, May 20, 2002

calgary, canada

calgary, canada: All I really want to say about this one is that it sucked. But here goes the short version: This promoter was the most unprofessional individual I have encountered this far on this tour. Yes, I was tired, and did ask if I could play at an earlier time, since I had waited at customs for 3 hours (not his fault), not slept a whole lot in the previous days, and had to be at the airport at 6 am. (which meant leaving the hotel at 5: 30, waking up at… you do the math. ) I was exhausted, and I definitely made that known to him. He acted like it was ok, since he was so angry anyway at me & my booking agency & the travel agent for “scamming” him, and saying how because of me he couldn’t bring High Contrast- all on the way from the airport to the hotel. I just thought he might understand. But no DJ (on a contract) deserves to be taken to dinner & then told to pay for it myself (because he had already wasted too much on the night already) or left waiting 45 minutes in the hotel lobby to go play my set because he decided in his mind that I would play later than he told me (but not actually call & tell me). I was put in a room that, while it looked very nice, had no heat & there was an ice/snow storm. Come ON!!! Whats the deal? To top it off, he sends Contagious & Breakbeat emails the next day telling them how he’s not gonna pay the flight share because I was so wack & awful & demanding unreasonable things from him, etc. The fun never ends in Middle Canada, eh?
In the end- It’s all good. Every place I go is not going to be the shit, and some people suck. Its all part of the deal. The good with the bad. I thought he was a dick, he thought I was a royal bitch pain in the ass. Chalk it up to experience & get the HELL to L.A!

Sunday, May 19, 2002

phoenix

phoenix: I was greeted at the airport by the official USCC hosts, Leo & Manoles. From the moment their mouths started moving I was in stitches. It was literally like a comedy hour. I was immediately at ease & very happy to be in such good company. I had an in-store to do at Swell, so they took me to the hotel to drop my stuff off and head over. We were met at the hotel by Gary (the promoter) and Nancy (his girlfriend.) Since it was 100 degrees, I was dying for some iced coffee. They knew just the spot, a drive thru espresso joint! Wild. These coffees were the size of a Big Gulp, so soon there was a caffeine buzz permeating the general mood. Things got a little more wild. We got to Swell and there weren’t too many people there but there were a LOT of nice clothes and they happened to be having a Diesel sale. The coffee, the buzz from good people, and my usual mania all contributed to my frenzy to find the perfect pair of Diesel jeans. I was determined. Manoles gave me a discount flyer and I was even more stoked. Mission completed, with a minor loan, I started playing some 2 step & getting jiggy wit it. Dave, who also plays 2 step & breaks & buys the jungle for Swell came over & offered a few suggestions. The booth there is sweet & I had a blast. Afterwards, I was determined not only to eat & shower & get ready but to swim a lot as well. But just as luck would have it, Leo, his girlfriend Stacy & Manoles happen to live in a phat house with not just a pool but a hot tub too. SOLD to the cracked out DJ! We picked up food from the venue (which is also a Chinese restaurant) and headed over to the house to take care of business. I swam a bunch of frenzied laps then jumped in the hot tub. Heaven. We rushed to get ready & headed to the Lucky Dragon, where Rave America was waiting to interview me for their TV show. CRS? From LA was rinsing it out when I got there & I wanted to go inside & dance, but the Ravers wanted to know if I thought it was cool that Paul Oakenfold plays drum & bass in his sets. Is that a fact? I suppose its cool if he didn’t wreck so much, but hey. Finally I got inside & CRS? Dropped this SICK remix of that Lenny Kravitz song “I Wanna Fly Away..” at least I think that’s what it was. He said Bamboo from the Stateside Collective made it and that got me amped. I love what those cats are doing. I felt like there was no way I could get on after this guy, the vibe was so thick in there. But I had to do it, so I swallowed my doubts and got the fuck on. It was pretty dope. I was able to keep most of the vibe intact. The United Subconscious e. After the party was the afterparty..and after that party was the hot tub and some…. Just kidding. Sort of. We retreated back to the Crack Palace for some hardcore chillin & puffin. I got to meet a host of extremely cool, interesting people, like Debra, who was trying out for the Screen Actors Guild in a few days ( I hope you made it!) and her boyfriend Mike; Jackie who writes a ton of music, has an intense presence, and is extremely driven (not to mention gorgeous and only 18!) I hope someday I get to meet her again & hear her music, perhaps collaborate, because this girl is definitely going somewhere good. I met Dave’s girlfriend Crystal, Vector Burn (awesome tunes!!) Owen, Corey, and a girl named Sage. And a lot of other cool people. Everyone there was so chill, so funny, so nice, so damned PERSONABLE! It was extremely refreshing. No one was jaded. Everyone had fun. I sure did. My only regret was that I didn’t get to hang out more with Leo & Manoles. They should seriously get a comedy show. If every angry wack-attituded person could spend a few hours with them, the world would be an infinitely better place. Thanks Gary!!!

Saturday, May 18, 2002

portland

portland: What a beautiful city! That was my first impression as I walked around before the party. I was lucky enough to get a rain-free afternoon. Taylor (not Travis, im sorry!) , the promoter, picked me up & checked me into this super nice hotel, and I set out on my own adventure. The city is like art, everything looks so nice! There are water fountains gurgling at many corners, statues & fountains alongside benches, trees… it reminded me of Seattle, but prettier. After my stroll I took a nap & then Taylor picked me up for dinner, then we headed to Club Ohm. I was warned that there probably would not be a large crowd, but that the vibes were always excellent inside the ride. This proved to be absolutely true. The club is a huge space, a place I’d like to live in. Massive. Arches separate the “bar area” from the “dancefloor”. I guess in places outside New York, it is easy to have big clubs and the owners don’t care if there’s only 30 people as long as those 30 drink a little. It sure was emptywhen I got there but the DJ was playing a dope mix of really good vocal D&B, those songs you love but never think to play all at once, or even anymore. I was impressed & immediately in a great mood, ready to rock out. I met DJ Drunken Monkey, who was to play after me. He gave me a dub of one of his tunes which turned out to be pretty damn good (especially given the state of the plate!) I was joined by none other than Jason Walker, the promoter from Simon’s in Gainesville who had just moved to Portland a few weeks earlier, and his friend Jerry, who was quite a trip. I went on, starting off with some 2 step, and the place started to get warm. A few more heads showed up and people started grooving. It only intensified as things went on. Everyone who was there was in it and most of them were on the floor getting down. It was a really good feeling, the energy I got from them. It just goes to show that vibe is not a head count.
After my set I chilled with Jason & Jerry, Taylor, and a few of his friends. Drunken Monkey threw down a fat set and we were all irie. Jerry was full of really cool stories about how he walked from Wisconsin to Florida & back cooking for these hippies and about how he doesn’t care about money. To illustrate his point, he gave the waitress a $100 tip & ripped it up on the bar, then told us how lost she was for taping it back together. More power to you, Jerry, whatever you are doing now. I love to meet people who are coming from a whole other place I’ve never been to. It makes my day to consider an angle I totally respect but never considered possible in my reality- and see that it is someone’s, and it is possible.

Thursday, May 16, 2002

hartford

hartford: The Municipal café was the site of yet another strong CT party. There was a good crowd, and despite some weirdness with the rooms & a decidedly unsatisfactory sound system situation, the show went off well. The room I played in was the upstairs, an open bar-restaurant-ish room instead of the basement, which oozes d&b vibes and is always where I’ve played at that venue. There was no apparent theme to who played where either, but hey- its all good. Big up to Waldo for troopin’ out so far to be there & thank you JJ for another fun brock out CT stylee! (if only my ears could recover from that speaker!)

Monday, May 13, 2002

baltimore

baltimore: Arrived late, still high on the vibes from the night before. It was a little cold & rainy there but my spirits were good. Lonnie Fisher, uber-promoter extrordinaire picked me up, checked me into a really nice hotel, and took me to Sonar. The club is a work of art in itself, a DJs wet dream… Mackie sound system, clear tight booth sound, all new, all dope. Bubblin is their Sunday 2 step & breaks party. Resident Oron wasn’t there that night, sadly, but I was lucky enough to get to open for BLIM. The crowd was not out, it was a slow night, but it was chill. After my set I got some food with MC Legacy & Joey Migraine. They took me to a really cool all night diner with dismembered dolls all over and super surly service. We returned to the club to find a raging bong session going on upstairs…LG had an inflatable bong, which I’ve never seen before. It looked cool, I took a hit- and a FAT mouthful of water was expelled onto the carpet. NOT cool. But funny. If you were a spectator. BLIM was really nice, down to earth…we talked about getting him to NYC since for some strange reason he’s never been there. After a few more hits we were all rinsed out & ready to go. The next day was sooooo chill. After awakening around 4, I had a swim & then Jim, Joey, & Jon E picked me up & took me to Joey’s house to kick it before the club. We had fun just hanging out, smoking, playing tunes, and eating dinner. Really sweet Southern hospitality. Steppin (the Monday D&B weekly) was doing much better than the night before. A decent crowd came out & was already warm to Lonnie’s excellent selections before I went on. My set went well, easy to do on such a good system. Quite a few peeps stayed till the end which always makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. No Joke! It was a good note on which to end the second stretch of the tour.

Saturday, May 11, 2002

santa fe

santa fe: Had the night off. Got in exhausted off the plane, passed out in the 1 1/2 hr ride up to Santa Fe. Checked into the hotel to find a sweet flower arrangement & chocolate candy in my room! How nice is that? The promoters Charles & Sandra came & took me out to dinner after a refreshing swim. They greeted me with yet another awesome gift: a little smoking package. (wink wink) Our meal was SLAMMIN! We topped it off with a Chocolate Thunder Sundae and we were all about ready to pass out. It was so nice to finally be able to sleep after many many virtually sleepless nights. The next day, I woke up around 5 pm and got to hang out with Jiandan, the awesome lady who first brought me to Santa Fe back in 99. She took me to get a good salad, and then we headed over to her place for some coffee & to hang out with her kitties… she has 5 and they are all soooooooo cute! Two of them are white but look pink from the desert dirt. OOOOOHHH I love pussies!!!!! I wanna take them all home with me & become the biggest Cat Lady in the world!!! A little later, we had a quick bite of dinner & then headed to the party. It was a dope space to begin with, and Sandra & Charles had made sure it was decorated to the 11’s with lights and tapestries and lamps made from circuit boards. There was a nice outdoor area to chill & a room where the party was taking place. There were a hundred or so revelers there when we arrived, and before I got on at 2 a whole lot more showed up & started warming up to some excellent house & breaks. But they wanted a fat kick in the ass…and I was ready to give it to them. I felt energy there like I haven’t felt in a long time. It was like they NEEDED it! Absolutely mad for it. Celestial vibes inside the ride. I dropped relentless drum & bass for about an hour & 15, with local MC Tantrum on the mic, then decided to relent & give em some 2 step. One guy told me he’d been waiting all night for it and that made me even happier, knowing that it would be appreciated. Of course I met many really nice kids afterwards: Issac (Before & After, COWBOY!!!!!!), Carlos, Fuji, Spirit… James, thank you for being on the sound…
Charles, Sandra, & Jiandan, BIG THA FUCK UP for yet another amazing event and an absolutely smashing wonderful time.

Thursday, May 09, 2002

austin

austin:Joseph, the promoter, picked me up with his friend Jeremy. I had an in-store to do at Alien Records, so we headed over there. They actually promoted it and there were quite a few people there…not to mention a keg! After a few minutes of technical difficulty, I rinsed the store out with 2 step & breaks. It was good fun in the hot Texas afternoon. Joseph’s fiancée, Ashley got off work & met up with us there. I got to meet a few cool local Djs and the co-promoter, Noah. They were all excited about the club later on, and the vibe was contagious. After a little rest & a shower, Joseph & Ashley picked me up for dinner. We went to Kirby’s which had been recommended by none other than the Lord Vishnu. The food was good, we talked some politics, and headed to the club. There were were quite a few people there and the space itself was excellent. It was right in the middle of this artsy district, a rare and welcome sight in Wal-Mart/ Micky D’s laden Texas. Kid Icarus from Dallas was on before me, playing some hard housey -trancey stuff. I was hoping for some Speed Garage, but I suppose he’s over that by now. Ashley & I continued on with our political discussion, which was a trip for me, someone raised in New York by liberal Democrat parents. It is very rare for me to meet a straight up Republican who happens to be really cool, intelligent, and into similar things as myself. When I got on, things got weird. It seemed to me like most of the people in the club were lined around the top level balcony, or behind me… like 20 people were standing right behind me where I couldn’t even see them! And they were the ones who seemed to be most into it. Weird. It is hard for me to feel the vibes of people who are standing around and watching. I feel like every cheer is sarcastic, or else they’d be dancing…. Right? Or maybe not. After the club there was quite a crew who wanted to chill & puff so we made an impromptu afterparty at Christina & Bob (Grommit)’s house. I was lucky enough to get to ride with Monte, a very nice local DJ who happens to have a SICK Audi TT. I wanted to go 140 mph, but traffic conditions wouldn’t quite permit it. The house was close by & filled with really cool art, including a 19th century Surrealist painting that was wild! (see picture) The Epro Recordings crew was inside the ride, Duffy, Ronnie and a few others, along with Monte, Les (who spun a sick set while we chilled), Christina & Bob…and some cats making out in the back room. ;) A fine evening, all the way through. Thank you, Austin Drum & Bass Heads!!!!

Wednesday, May 08, 2002

houston

houston:Return to the scene of the crime… I had to fly on Delta & connect thru Atlanta! They had told me to expect a serious hassle checking in & at security, that my name was in the system as a “bad passenger.” Bullshit. Nothing. I sailed through easier than ever, not even getting my records searched once. I was greeted at the airport by my friend Shawn the Lord Vishnu. It was great to see him & catch up. Off to Soundwaves to do an in-store. It went really well, a few people showed up, a few who were there for other reasons became curious. One hardcore JUNGLIST (see picture) Tony was there taking pictures & he said he would surely be at the club later. After the in-store, I headed back to the hotel for a dip in the hot tub. Funny things were amiss! A couple of high school boys got in and we got to talking. They were in town for a golf tournament. One seemed to think he was macking me, and I was playing along, enjoying the ride. I don’t think they realized how old I was, or maybe they did, and they were very into it. I went so far as to invite them to the club, and it appeared they were contemplating. And then a woman came over to ask them something. Jokingly, I asked, “Is that your golf mom? Aww.. that’s so cute.” Mr. Mack was all, yeah, something like that. Then his friend’s all “that’s his REAL mom.” Cockblocker!!!! I was quite amused. They were really nice Texas boys. Aw shucks. The club, Hyperia, was fat…nice booth! Neil (the owner) loves drum & bass so the promoters, Mike & Brad, have a great thing going on there- something unusual in the world of D&B. A good sized crowd came out and all was rinsing proper. Swift did some minimalism on the mic, which was cool. JUNGLIST Tony brought his whole crew, (including Mari, Junglist Babe, what a sweetie!) who were awesome and his friend was celebrating her birthday… they thanked me for a really fun birthday party and we took lots of pictures. It was definitely a good night.

Saturday, May 04, 2002

nyc

nyc: DIRECT DRIVE INSIIIIIIIIIIIIIDE!! Baktun was a human nuclear reactor blown to code red- now the norm for Direct Drive events. A big shout out to Cliff aka DJ Seoul for having the BEST weekly drum & bass party in the free world. For all y’all who missed it, all I can say is you missed out. Every time I play there it is packed to the gills with eager dancing maniacs, and the past 3 times I’ve closed out the night it’s gone way past 4…. Thank You to Everyone who comes out week after week & makes me proud to call that party Home. And a massive shout to DJ Lee, who tore it to shreds before I even got there.